Schule Marienau Private School

• Institution type: private school
• Type of education: mixed
• Location: Dahlem, Germany
• Educational programs: Grammar classes (5-12, Abitur)
• The total number of students: 330 people, of which 130 - on board (foreign students of the order of 10-15%)
• Age of students: 10 years and older
• Language of instruction: German

The motto "Learning the head, heart and hands" suits best for the private school Schule Marienau. It is located in the city of Dahlem: the distance to Hamburg is 85 kilometers, and to Luneburg - only 20 kilometers. The territory is a former estate with meadows, lakes, forests and a small pond. Marienau belongs to the land of Dahlem, is under the local government of Dakhleburg (this is a commercial, meaningful city between Luneburg and Dannenberg). Lüneburg itself, despite its small size, is well known as a spa city thanks to its unique salt springs and thermal baths. There is an amazing historical city center, an excellent theater, there is its own university, many museums, tourist hotels and student hostels.

The founder of Schule Marienau, the educator-reformer Dr. Max Bondi balanced traditional academic methods with psychological approaches that take into account the individual characteristics and talents of each student. His wife, the famous Viennese psychoanalyst and the student of Sigmund Freud himself had a great influence on the resulting method. Here they bring up a harmonious, fully-fledged and comprehensive developed personality, a correct and objective attitude to the world around them, respect and tolerance for people.

The school has its own parliament of 100 people: it develops, approves school rules and regulations, actions and student initiatives. The social work of students is paid great attention: it is believed that this allows you to educate an active civic position, non-indifference and involvement in world social processes. Weekly on Thursdays, mass meetings and group discussions of current issues are held, a plan of events for the weekend is drawn up. Senior students take patronage over younger students - this item necessarily enters into a personal portfolio and a certificate. All students will always remain members of a large school family: meetings and celebrations are organized for them every year, and the friendship that has become established in the institution often remains for life.

Schule Marienau takes an active part in the activities of the international organization of UNESCO, in scientific, innovative and environmental projects. The curriculum necessarily includes a discipline such as biotechnology - this knowledge helps students to better understand the models of the future, to build them and anticipate opportunities and functionality.

Student exchanges with Canada, the USA (especially South Carolina institutions) and New Zealand are constantly practiced, the school successfully and fruitfully cooperates with colleagues from all over the world. In order to successfully pass the final exams, the pupil must master three foreign languages ​​at a sufficiently high level: for this purpose, from the 9th grade pupils are sent to language and student programs in the USA, Spain, France or the UK.

Compulsory school uniform is not accepted.

When resettlement necessarily takes into account the age principle - students live with their peers. Each house is designed for 6-12 people (double rooms), teachers live and stay with the children constantly: creating a comfortable, friendly and family atmosphere, they help the students to adapt to new conditions more quickly. Also curators around the clock guarantee the full safety of students, monitor the observance of order, cleanliness and discipline. Meals are organized on the principle of a full board, three times a day - for this purpose a common spacious dining room is built.

Separate residences with kitchen and private bedrooms are prepared for high school students (from grade 11).

Almost the entire time students are in the Schule Marienau, they stay in the team - during studying, recreation and extra-curricular leisure activities. Dinners are provided with teachers, joint visits to electives and circles, homework for students of junior and middle classes are also carried out under the supervision of a teacher who is ready to help in case of difficulties.

Subject list: Art, biochemistry, biology, biotechnology, creation, drama, economics, maths, music, politics, theatre studies
Activity list: acrobatics, archery, culinary arts, dancing, Drawing on canvas, flute, football, golf, guitar, gymnastics, horseback riding, music studio, Trampoline jumping

In open hours for students, there are ample opportunities for sports and creative development:

• Football;
• Tennis;
• Basketball;
• Golf;
• Swimming;
• Horse riding;
• Climbing;
• Rowing;
• Sewing studio;
• Woodcarving;
• Drawing;
• Painting;
• Knitting.

There is a theater and dance studio, wide opportunities for music (singing and playing musical instruments), there are optional classes in information technology and a circle of enthusiasts of natural sciences. You can learn modeling or carpentry, learn light and sound, work in a social service or take on tutoring.

On weekends interesting and informative excursions and walks to interesting cities and places of Germany, other countries, visiting historical, cultural and natural attractions are organized.

• an individualized educational process, comfortable and not causing rejection, anxiety, opportunities for the disclosure of personal talents and abilities
• cooperative teaching methods
• small groups for classes
• professionalism of teachers, their creative initiative, experience of working with children from different countries.

The total area of ​​the Schule Marienau campus reaches 80 hectares: these are manicured lands, covered with green meadows and forest groves. The ancient buildings here are harmoniously combined with modern architectural buildings, the main principle of accommodation is multifunctionality. For the students prepared cozy residences, equipped classrooms and auditoriums, numerous craft workshops and creative studios, sports infrastructure and functional scientific laboratories, connected by convenient corridors.

In each class, no more than 16 people are engaged in order to give the teacher the opportunity to find their own approach to each, to give the necessary attention, and closely monitor progress. Work is carried out independently as well as different groups, lectures, discussions, seminars are held, design and research activities are conducted. Students are given a fairly high level of independence - this accustoms them to personal responsibility, forms a stable motivation and the desire to achieve personal goals.

Pay attention that some services are not included in Tuition fee (full board) and paid additionally:

• Registration fee;
• Academic deposit;
• Application fee;
• Additional lessons of German as a foreign language;
• Some sports electives and sections.

Extras:

• Registration fee (for a programme/course) 280 EUR
• Other 4800 EUR
• Deposit for a course/programme 6900 EUR

For admission to Schule Marienau, you should take care in advance of obtaining a student visa and collecting the necessary documents (at least a month). It will be necessary to provide a report card with grades from the previous place of study (the average score is not lower than the average), and also to demonstrate a sufficiently high level of the German language (from B2).

If the level of the German language or academic knowledge is insufficient, the child is encouraged to take an effective preparatory course at the Humboldt Institutions (Lindenberg or Bad Schussenried). In just 6 months you can raise the language level practically from scratch to the required B2 thanks to qualified teachers, balanced curriculums and full immersion in the language and cultural environment of Germany.

In order to become a candidate for admission to Schule Marienau, the entrant will be required to provide the admission committee with the following information:

• Full name, date of birth
• School report card with grades, translated into German or English
• Personal hobbies, interests, success certificates in academic, creative activity
• Letters of recommendation from previous teachers translated into English or German
• Personal written motivation letter (in English or German).

It is also required to:

• Indicate (you can approximately) the annual or monthly budget for studying
• Select the priority region for obtaining an education in Germany.

After receiving all the necessary information, the advisory council begins selecting a school for the student: assesses its opportunities and requests, contacts schools identified as priority, and reveals the number of seats available and the possibility of admission.

Usually, foreign students begin the process of studying in Germany with the Humboldt-Institute language courses (the German academic program for the year): in this case, the selected secondary schools receive full reports on the student's successes and achievements, his behavior in the classroom, the degree of involvement in school extra-curricular activities. After the preparatory language course is completed and all formalities are settled, the student goes for basic studying to the boarding school he has chosen.

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision